


ただいま (Tr: I'm home)

by DreamingOf4A



Category: Figure Skating RPF
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Cats, Fluff, Injury Recovery, M/M, Nudity, Scheming cats, Showers, talk of injuries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-20
Updated: 2017-08-20
Packaged: 2018-12-17 16:08:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11855079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DreamingOf4A/pseuds/DreamingOf4A
Summary: Summer 2016. Javi returns to Toronto and finds out just how tough Yuzu's recovery from his injury is.





	ただいま (Tr: I'm home)

**Author's Note:**

> Continuing the series of - unrelated - stories with 'home' in the title... This was actually the first one.
> 
> It was inspired by reading what Yuzu had to say about his recovery throughout the Summer of 2016. This story exaggerates some aspects of that, for the sake of angst - or does it? We know Yuzu tends to make his hardships look not as bad as they actually are, so for all we know, it might have been this bad or worse. I really wish it wasn't, though.
> 
> The rest of the story just happened without my intending for it to go like that, but I like it. It'd be nice if it'd be what really happened <3

_Disclaimer: This story is fiction and does not in any way reflect on the real life people that share their names with these characters. It is also not intended to offend or disrespect and it exists simply because I find it really interesting to imagine how other people - potentially - live their lives._

Whistling the opening theme of Fantasy on Ice, Javier walked down the hallways of the Cricket Club towards the ice rink. He was in a great mood. The shows in Japan had been great fun, he’d had a chance to spend a lot of time with Himawari and Miki and he felt recharged. 

He was also carrying a big bag of souvenirs, including a collection of Japanese snacks Nobu had helped him pick for Yuzu, who couldn’t go home for another few months at least.

His teammate’s absence had been greatly felt. And the crowd’s reaction to his video messages had shown, yet again, how much his people loved him.

Javier was determined to act naturally around his teammate. Despite everything.

He’d been shocked to hear about his injury. He’d known Yuzu hadn’t been 100% but he’d thought it was just some pulled muscle or so. He’d had no idea that Yuzuru had competed in Boston fearing it’d be his last figure skating competition. That information had messed him up quite a bit.

He’d won the title despite his own injury and had felt quite proud of himself. He’d felt that maybe just maybe he’d actually won over Yuzu on merit this time. Of course, not with both of them clean, but… still. 

And then he found out the huge burden Yuzuru had been carrying and it was a bit like getting hit over the head with a baseball bat. 

On one side, his heart ached for his friend, who was such a wonderful human being and who had suffered enough already. 

On the other side was bitterness. Yuzuru always had to win on something… if he wasn’t winning against Javi in competition, then he’d ‘win’ in the ‘how injured was I?’ competition. And, to top it all off, he’d never mentioned it. Not before, not during and not for weeks after Worlds. By comparison, Javi felt like a whiny child. 

He knew it wasn’t fair, though, so he tried to suppress those feelings.

Instead he plastered a big smile on his face and used all of his experience in acting out characters to pretend he wasn’t a bit terrified to meet his teammate again for the first time since Boston.

Although he’d been back to Toronto a couple of times since Boston, Yuzu had never been at CC. It was on one of those times that he’d found out that not only was Yuzu not allowed to train - on or off the ice - he wasn’t even allowed to walk. That he apparently used a wheelchair whenever he needed to get anywhere…

Javier shook his head, checked his smile and pushed open the door to the rink, the cold embracing him like an old friend.

“Javi!”

Several of the younger skaters rushed to greet him and he bumped fists and ruffled heads of hair and even gave a few hugs.

David came over to shake hands, too and together they made their way to where Tracy was standing in her usual place.

The woman smiled and gave Javier a warm but awkward - what with her in skates and Javi in sneakers - hug.

“Welcome home!” she said. Then frowned a bit. “I think you’re not scheduled for practice today, though?”

“No, I start tomorrow. But I’ve been away too long and wanted to catch up with all the gossip first.” Javier winked and the three of them laughed.

A fraction of a second later, though a pained and frustrated cry broke through the relaxed murmur of the rink, along with a loud bam.

Javier turned wide, worried eyes to the ice, already knowing what had happened even before his eyes found the black silhouette crumpled on the ice. His eyes widened even more when the man punched the ice hard and cursed loudly in Japanese, though his voice sounded more like he was crying.

Javier wanted to rush to his side, but he didn’t have his skates on.

Instead Tracy took off and was immediately crouching next to Yuzu.

David put a hand on Javier’s shoulder.

“It might be better if you waited in the lounge…”

“But…”

“I don’t think he’d want you to see him like this.”

Javier’s heart burst into pieces. Especially as Tracy finally got Yuzuru to sit up.

Javier couldn’t stop staring. His Yuzu was virtually unrecognizable.

He was startled from his shock by loud pounding as Brian literally came running out of his office and straight onto the ice to Yuzuru’s side.

David squeezed his shoulder.

“Go. You don’t need to see this.”

“Dave, he’s my friend!”

“He’s also your rival.” David pointed out coldly. Then sighed. “I’ll tell Brian to talk to you. If you’re his friend, forget you saw this, Javi.”

Swallowing hard, eyes prickling at the sight of Yuzuru barely able to stand, with his head so low it looked like he didn’t have the strength to hold it up and looking…

Javier suddenly turned around and left. He vaguely noticed the other skaters trying not to look at their beloved champion. He looked so… finished.

Minutes later, Javier sat alone on a couch in the lounge they hung out in during breaks or while waiting to see Brian in his office. 

He’d spread out some snacks he’d brought from both Japan and Spain on the table. There were some cookies his mother had baked, too. And several boxes of yuzu pocky he’d bought just because he’d thought it’d be funny. After what he’d seen, he felt like throwing them out so Yuzu would never have to see them. He didn’t, though, because he knew he had to act normal.

The bag of stuff he’d gotten just for Yuzu he’d hidden in his backpack, though. He couldn’t give it to him now.

He startled as someone walked in. He jumped up as he saw Brian. The man looked 10 years older than he’d been in Japan and very worried and sober. Without a word, he gestured for Javi to join him in the office.

“How’s Yuzu?”

“Sit down.”

“That bad?” Javier asked.

Brian sighed. “Javi… I’m sorry. I should have told you not to come outside of your practice times.”

“Brian, he’s my friend.”

“He is also your rival. You are his rival. You beat him to the world title two months ago.”

“He was injured…”

“So were you. But even aside from that, when has he ever given a fuck about that?!”

Javier was startled. He was sure than in the almost 5 years he’d been coached by Brian, it was the first time he’d heard him curse.

“I want to know… I need to know… I promise, I won’t come during his practice and I won’t ask again, but I need to know…”

Brian sighed again. 

“Ok. I’ll tell you. But you have to forget it by tomorrow. I will not accept you acting differently towards him for knowing this.”

Javier swallowed hard, wondering if he could really do that. He knew he had to, though, so he nodded.

“He has a lisfranc injury. He’s had it since last season began. None of us knew what it was until after Japan Nationals, when it got too painful for him. But even then, we didn’t know how bad it was. Either the kid has an insane pain threshold or his stubbornness is a natural painkiller. Either way, we decided to take out the toe loop as it seemed that was the thing making it worse. But then, in Boston, he started training only the toe loop. That made it worse. He didn’t really feel it during the competition. He was on painkillers and adrenaline. But he already could barely walk afterwards. After the exhibition, he called me to his room and told me how bad it was. That he was afraid he’d never skate again. He actually asked for help, which was a shock to me, but it also showed how desperate he was. Of course, I later found out it was his mother who convinced him to talk to me. Told him something like ‘if you won’t talk to me, talk to your coach, who might actually be able to help you.’ She was worried about him taking painkillers virtually for every competition. Even some practices.” Brian shook his head. “I knew something was wrong. Tracy, too. But we didn’t realize how bad it was.”

“Yuzu is good at hiding things like that…”

“Yes, he is. Anyway, I told him to come to Toronto and used all my connections to get the best doctors to check on him. The diagnosis was that it was bad. And the only way to try to avoid surgery was for him to not use his foot at all for 4-6 weeks. Surgery would have probably resulted in him missing half the season, due to not having enough time to prepare. Also, given the previous surgery experience, he wanted to avoid it at all costs. So, bed rest for 4 weeks. Then very light physiotherapy. Then light off ice practice to try to get his muscle mass back.”

“That didn’t seem to have gone so well…”

“Do Yuzu health related things ever do?” Brian shook his head. “Mostly, it’s mental, though. He’s extremely depressed. He had four weeks to wallow in post Worlds depression with little to no distraction. He wanted to get back on the ice and start pounding in his angry triple axels and say that Japanese sentence over and over again…”

“What Japanese sentence?”

“I can’t pronounce it, but he was shouting it so much after last Worlds I asked Kikuchi what it means. He said it’s something like ‘don’t look down on me’ or ‘don’t underestimate me.’”

“Ah that…”

“Yeah… but when he got back on the ice, he couldn’t jump at all. His foot can’t really take his weight. His thigh muscles are on strike. Even his spins look more like a chicken with his head cut off running around. He can’t even do single jumps. Hell, he can’t do a butterfly jump.”

Javier was stunned. He’d thought his teammate had just been forcing quads on still weak muscles. He’d had no idea…

“He’s basically starting again from scratch.” 

Brian shook his head, as if in disbelief himself. 

“17 fucking years of hard work, gone. I can’t even begin to imagine how he’s feeling.”

Brian paused a second as Tracy came in, but she just went to stand by the wall, without a word. Javier realized she must have been distracting Yuzu with skating skills practice.

“And the worst part is we should have seen it coming, but we didn’t.”

“How could you…” Javier started, but Brian interrupted.

“Javi, he literally had to learn to walk again. It wasn’t as dramatic as someone learning to use one’s legs after years, in that it only took him a couple of days, but after a month of not walking, he did have to learn to walk again. And yet, we all expected he’d be able to come on the ice and be able to skate, just like that. Of course, he wouldn’t be able to! And if we’d seen it coming, we would have been better prepared to deal with it. Prepare him for it, too. Instead we all just stared like idiots when he had trouble doing crosses and when he tried his first jump, it was like he didn’t even know what a jump was...”

“Brian.”

“I know. I’m sorry. I’m really sorry, Javi, I got carried away… you just wanted the facts, not the whole guilt trip.”

“No, it’s ok… we’re a family and that goes both ways.”

“Maybe, but you have your own training to focus on. I really want you to forget this. Because no matter how hard or painful it’s going to be - and it IS going to be really hard and painful - Yuzu will come back from this. He’ll come back from it or die trying. I’ll make him come back or die trying myself.”

Javier shivered a bit. He knew Brian wasn’t given to dramatic comments. But he nodded, because he expected as much.

“I know. I will never underestimate Yuzu. And I’ll try my hardest not to lose to him, as well.”

“Good. We’re also trying to act like this is perfectly normal, because the last thing he needs for us to openly worry.”

“I’ll… also pretend I don’t know about this… how hard it is for him and such...”

“Don’t.” Tracy said, pushing away from the wall. “He knows you were here today. He doesn’t want you seeing him so weak, but he’s also not the type to hide his hardships. He just doesn’t like making a big deal out of them. You pretending you don’t know when he knows you know would just become a big pink elephant in the room. Or on the rink.”

“Yeah and we have enough colorful animals on the rink.” Brian said, though he seemed too tired to appreciate his own joke, though Tracy and Javi smiled at it.

“Ok… then… I’ll go see if I can still catch him. I have a present for him, anyway.”

“Ok. Rest well today. Tomorrow, the serious work starts.”

“I will. You, too, Brian. Tracy.”

“We will.” Tracy smiled. “Now go to Yuzu. I think he’ll be happy to see you despite everything.”

Javier worried if that was true, but he rushed to the changing room. He paused at the door and listened, but it was quiet. He feared he’d missed his teammate, but he pushed the door to check.

The lights were off and it was pretty dark, as the windows were small and high above. Still, he quickly spotted the dark silhouette sitting on the bench, back leaning against the wall, head bent down, legs spread wide, skates still on, although unlaced. Yuzuru was topless and his pants were rolled up to the knees and he seemed… lifeless.

Javier’s heart broke all over again.

“Yuzu?”

The man twitched a bit, but he didn’t really move.

“Javi… welcome home.” Yuzuru whispered and Javier walked up to him. He hesitated as he stood a step away, but then knelt down and gently removed Yuzuru’s skates.

“ただいま” he said and from his vantage point, he saw Yuzuru’s lips twitch a bit. Though it would take a lot of imagination to call it a smile.

“Himawari-chan is teaching you well...”

“She is a great teacher, yes.”

He paused as he lifted Yuzuru’s left foot and gently touched the insole. Although it didn’t seem like Yuzuru was in pain.

“Does it still hurt?” 

“Not really… Well, a little now, after practice. Sometimes...”

“Hmm… that’s good.”

“Everywhere hurts...” Yuzuru said then, with a dark chuckle.

“You shouldn’t keep trying to jump when you can’t… you’re only hurting yourself.”

“So I should give jump up?”

“No. You need to take it more slowly. Re-learn the jumps like you learned them the first time.”

“Easy to say.”

“Yes, I know.”

“If in my place, how Javi feel?”

“I would never be in your place.” Yuzuru flinched and Javier hurried to finish his point before the man misunderstood him. “I would give up long before it would get this bad.”

“You don’t give up in Boston.”

“I asked for help in Boston. You didn’t.”

Yuzuru sighed deeply.

“I’m tired, Javi… I only just start but I’m so tired...”

“Oh, Yuzu...” Javier said, then sat next to his teammate and pulled him into a hug. And his heart ached at the soft, weak body in his arms. His Yuzu was usually hard everywhere. All bone and muscle and feeling those eternally tense muscles melt into relaxation during their hugs had always been extraordinarily precious. This Yuzu was soft and weak and tired and if he melted any further, he’d be a puddle on the floor. Javier held him tighter, trying to transfer some of his strength into the boy.

“Thank you.” Yuzuru said with a sniff.

“You have nothing to thank me for. I’ll always be there for you. You know that, right? Regardless of victories and championships, you and I are friends and I’ll always be there for you if you need me.”

“I know. Thank you.” Yuzuru said and he finally looked at Javier properly and even smiled a bit. His eyes were red and puffy and he had dark circles and Javier wasn’t sure he wanted to know how many nights Yuzuru had spent crying since Boston.

Javier reached out and hugged Yuzu again. After returning the hug for a few moments, Yuzuru squirmed out of the embrace.

“I’m sweaty. Need shower.”

“You’re fine!” Javier said and hugged the boy again.

Yuzuru giggled a bit, then pulled away and stood up. And almost fell as his muscles protested the movement. He hissed and leaned on Javier, who stood up immediately to catch him.

“Are you ok?”

“Yes, sorry… I need move slower... ”

“Will you be ok in the shower?”

“I’m fine. If careful, is ok.”

“Ok… Be careful, then...”

“I will. Javi start practice tomorrow, right? Good luck! When can do quads again, let’s jump together!”

“I do and thank you and of course. But I’m not leaving yet, I’ll wait for you.”

“Why wait?”

“I have something for you. But go shower first, stinky boy.”

Yuzuru poked his tongue at him, before limping his way to the showers.

Javier smiled as he sat back down and took out his phone to entertain himself while waiting for Yuzu. He kept it quiet, though, his ears trained on the sound of the shower. Just in case Yuzu might lose his balance again…

It was maybe 10 minutes later that he heard it. Not the sound of a fall, but Yuzu calling out his name. He virtually threw his phone on the bench and ran off towards his teammate.

He found Yuzu sitting on the wet tiles, back resting against the wall, with the hot water still falling on his body, though he’d pulled his knees up, probably in a bit of modesty. He looked sheepish and embarrassed, but not hurt. Not like he’d fallen.

“What happened?”

“I think I sit down a bit, to rest, when muscles hurt… but can’t get up anymore…” Yuzuru admitted with a blush.

“Oh… I see… Are you done with your shower?”

“No, haven’t really washed yet… it’s ok, just need help to stand, then is ok…”

Javier stared at him.

“... for how long have you been sitting there?”

Yuzuru blushed harder and Javier realized it had been a good few minutes before Yuzuru had decided to call for help.

Shaking his head, he took two steps away, toed off his sneakers, glad he’d worn them sockless, then pulled off his tshirt and hesitated a moment - though carefully ignoring Yuzuru’s wide eyes - before taking off his pants and underwear in one go.

“J-Javi??” Yuzuru asked, startled by his teammate’s sudden nakedness.

“I’ll help. But I’d rather not get my clothes wet.” Javier said and acted like he wasn’t blushing.

Then he bent down and picked Yuzuru up under his armpits and gently helped him up. His legs were decidedly wobbly, so he let his hands slide down to Yuzuru’s own and he directed them around his neck.

Somewhat shocked, Yuzuru obediently kept them there. Their bodies weren’t flush together, though, so it wasn’t THAT awkward. 

Javier then reached for the shower gel Yuzuru must have put on the ledge, squirted some in his hand and started washing his teammate.

For someone claiming he just needed help to stand, Yuzuru was decidedly unresponsive.

When Javier jokingly said so, Yuzuru jerked and tried to take a step away and almost slipped and cracked his skull against the wall behind. Luckily Javier was fast enough and caught him around his waist and pulled him closer.

THAT close.

They both blushed then.

“See… if you’re not good… this sort of thing happens!” Javier chidded, then winced at himself.

“Sorry…” Yuzuru said and pushed away back to the previous position, his hands resting on Javier’s shoulders to support himself.

Washing his legs was awkward standing, though.

“Ah, screw it…” Javier said, then knelt down in front of a yelping Yuzuru to wash his legs.

“J-Javi!”

“Oh, relax. we’re both guys. And we both know I’m not here with sexual intent.”

Still Yuzuru whimpered and one of his hands left Javier’s shoulder to cover himself. Javier ignored it as he focused on soaping up those usually strong legs, providing a bit of a massage in the process, too. But, as he reached around to rub at Yuzu’s thighs, he saw it. Why Yuzu was so embarrassed.

He stood up then and Yuzu stepped back, leaning against the wall again, using both hands to cover himself.

“Yuzu… come on, it’s fine. Don’t stress!”

“But…”

“Hey, I’m flattered you got a hard on from me sitting on my knees in front of you!” Javier joked. When Yuzuru only blushed harder he realized maybe it wasn’t a joke…

“Hey. I’m serious. It’s ok.” Javier tried again, putting his hands on Yuzuru’s shoulders.

Yuzuru shook his head, though.

“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!”

“You have nothing to be sorry about. I mean it, I’m flattered!”

“But Javi is straight…”

“So? Straight men can be flattered, too…”

“But…”

“No buts. It’s fine. Now let’s finish the shower before we both catch a cold!”

And to show just how ok it was, Javier pulled Yuzuru’s hands away from his crotch then hugged him. Erection and all. He felt Yuzuru tense up at the contact and his own heart was pounding because that was a foreign feeling but one he could easily imagine being arousing. He wasn’t sure how Yuzuru would react if he started getting hard, too, though.

Pushing his thoughts away, Javier tightened his hug until he felt Yuzuru melt and relax. Well, most of him. That part was still ready for action.

Javier rarely lied to himself, so it wasn’t hard to admit he wanted to look. The shape and size felt quite nice against his hip and navel and considering how beautiful Yuzuru was, he kind of wondered if that extended down there, too.

But for all that Javier wanted to admire him, he knew it would only embarrass Yuzuru now, so he didn’t. Instead he pushed Yuzuru under the water spray again and proceeded to wash his hair.

Several minutes later, little Yuzu had mostly calmed down, too, and so as they used fluffy towels to wipe themselves dry, there was little to no embarrassment anymore, just a comfortable intimacy.

After they got dressed and back to the changing room, Yuzu sat down to pack up his bag.

Meanwhile, Javi went to his backpack to get the bag of sweets for Yuzu. Only when he found it, he noticed what was inside.

“Ah, shit…”

“What?”

“I messed up…”

“Eh?”

“I took the wrong bag… instead of getting the one for you, I got the one for Laura…”

Yuzu giggled and it made Javi’s heart soar at having him sound so normal.

“Is ok. Bring tomorrow!”

Javi hummed and bit his lip, watching Yuzu carefully pack away his skates.

“Hey, Yuzu…”

“Yes?”

“Are you busy from now?”

Yuzu looked up, surprised.

“No… there’s study but… not urgent… why?”

“Come home with me? To my place, I mean. I really want to give you my gift...”

Yuzu paused for a while.

Contrary to popular belief, they’d never visited each other before.

“Ok… Just need tell mother…”

“Of course.”

Several minutes later they were walking towards Javi’s apartment complex, which was just 10 minutes away from the rink.

“Are you sure you’re ok walking that far?”

“I am. Javi worry too much.”

“Well, sorry!” Javi pouted, which made Yuzu giggle again.

They walked slowly, so 10 minutes became 20, and Yuzuru was limping quite a bit by the end, but Javier decided it was better not to nag.

When they got inside Javier’s apartment, he surprised Yuzuru by toeing off his sneakers.

“You take shoes off?”

“Oh… I think being in Japan has rubbed off on me. But it is more comfortable like this, isn’t it?”

“Yes.” Yuzuru smiled and did the same, holding on to the wall.

Javier tried to ignore that.

“Want something to drink? Orange juice, ice tea… I could make tea… or maybe you want a beer?”

“Silly Javi. I don’t drink alcohol. Ice tea sound good…”

“It’s not oolong. I think it’s green tea flavor, though.”

“Mmm. I know. Taste not like green tea. But is good.”

“Ok. Ice tea, then. Have a seat on the couch.”

Yuzu sat gingerly, marveling a bit at the couch cover.

“Javi like rose?”

“What?”

“This. All big rose on…”

Javier turned around to look at Yuzuru patting his couch cover, which was essentially a white sheet with a big roses pattern.

“Oh, that… Laura gave me that. No idea why that pattern… it’s mostly to keep Effie’s hair off the couch.”

“Ah…”

“Speaking of which…”

Yuzuru watched as Javier put down two glasses of ice tea on the coffee table, then took off to another room, calling Effie’s name.

Although he himself didn’t have SNS, he’d seen pictures of Javi’s cat before. He’d never seen the real thing, though.

A few moments later, Javi came back in carrying a ball of gray and white fluff.

“Mi hijita preciosa…” he whispered and kissed the cat’s head.

Yuzuru didn’t understand the words, but the tone was clearly ‘baby talk’. He snickered, particularly at the cat’s long suffering look. Still, she did just lay patiently in Javi’s arms and accepted the overflowing affection.

Javi sat down next to Yuzu on the couch.

“Effie, meet my friend and rival, Yuzuru. Yuzu, meet my precious daughter, Effie.”

Yuzuru giggled and reached out to shake Effie’s paw.

“Nice to meet you. Didn’t know Javi is cat!”

“I wish I was…” A sneeze. “Though it’d be weird to be allergic to myself…”

“Eh? Javi is allergic to cats?”

“Yup. Well, it’s mild. It just means I sneeze a lot.”

“That so weird…”

“I can’t help it I love cats! If you were allergic to skating, would you give it up?”

“There no skating allergy!” Yuzu pointed out as he scratched Effie’s tummy, while she sniffed his fingers.

“But if there was?”

“... I would not…”

“See? This is the same.”

“Hmm… I never have pets. So don’t know…”

“Never?!”

Yuzu shook his head.

“Parents worry make asthma worse.”

“Oh… that’s too bad…”

“Seem ok, though. Javi sneeze, but I don’t cough.” Yuzu smiled.

“You’re welcome to come play with Effie any time you like.”

“Really?”

“Sure! She probably gets bored with just me and she obviously likes you. Hear her purr!”

“Is first time…”

“First time?”

“First time I hear cat purr in real… is so cool!”

“Want to hold her?”

“Eh? Is ok?”

“Sure. I’m sure she won’t mind!”

“Ok…”

Several minutes later, Javier was watching Yuzuru holding the purring Effie like she was a precious baby and he had to smile. Part of him couldn’t process the fact that it was the first time Yuzuru had ever held a cat, but it was adorable. And far from minding it, Effie was purring even more loudly than before.

“I’m starting to feel a bit jealous. I think she likes you more than she likes me!”

Yuzuru laughed.

“I don’t think so. But I happy she likes me.”

“Me, too.” Javi smiled.

“Oh, Javi say have present for me?”

“Ah, yes. Let me get it…”

After a few minutes, Javier returned with a plastic bag. As he sat back down again, he blushed a bit. He was starting to feel a bit embarrassed.

“It’s no big deal, but… I knew you can’t go home for a while, so, before I left Japan, I asked Nobu to help me get some stuff for you… Stuff you like…”

Avoiding looking at Yuzu, Javi started taking out various bags and boxes of snacks, both sweet and salty and a million flavors in between.

When he was done and his coffee table was piled up with Japanese snacks, he finally looked up and met Yuzuru’s eyes.

Yuzuru’s eyes that were filled with tears, even as his lips were stretched into a soft smile.

“Javi…”

“It’s really no big deal…”

Yuzu shook his head.

“No, is huge deal. Thank you!”

Then Yuzu reached out and pulled him in for a gentle hug, as he still cradled Effie to his chest with his other arm.

Javi wrapped his arms around both and it strangely felt like they were a happy family.

“I wish I could do more…”

“Javi already do a lot!”

“Yuzu…” Javi said pulling away.

Yuzu smiled brightly.

“Thank you! Javi best friend, really! Feel much better now!”

“I’m glad to hear that!”

“There is small problem…” Yuzu said, after a few moments of contemplating the pile of snacks.

“... what problem?”

“I get fat while not train…” Yuzu said, looking down at his waist which, indeed, was looking softer and not as tiny as usual.

“Yuzu, that’s not called getting fat…”

“Anyway. I am on diet… so can’t eat that…”

“Oh…”

“But… maybe I can eat just a little, every day…”

“Is that ok?”

“I think so… I ask. But…”

“Yes?”

Yuzuru bit his lip, looking down at Effie dozing off in his arms.

“Can… Javi keep for me? Then… maybe… I can come here to eat… and play with Effie?” the young man asked, hesitantly.

“Of course! I’d love that!”

“Really?” Yuzu asked surprised.

“Of course!”

“Oh… oh, great!”

“I’m a bit surprised, though…”

“It’s just… mother say should go out more… and… 2 months just lay in bed and play game and study… that room is…”

Yuzuru paused trying to find his words, when Javi put his hand on his shoulder again.

“It’s ok, I understand. You’re always welcome here! I’ve always wanted to hang out with you more. And we can play games together! Much more fun than alone!”

Yuzuru beamed and nodded!

“よろしく！”

“よろしく~”

“おぉ、ハビの日本語,上手い！”

“Ok, did you just say my Japanese is delicious?”

Yuzuru burst out laughing at that, startling Effie out of her nap.

“I guess not…” Javi said somewhat embarrassed as Yuzu wouldn’t stop laughing.

“No, no… 上手い mean good, very good.” Yuzu explained after he finally stopped laughing.

“Oh… I see…”

“Guess Javi Japanese not that 上手い after all…” Yuzu grinned and Javier reached up and ruffled his hair in revenge.

“I can teach Javi!” Yuzu offered, trying to dodge the ruffling, as Effie decided it was too much ruckus for her and escaped his arms and the room.

“That’d be nice, actually… For now, though… let’s have a snack and watch a movie or so?”

“Movie?”

“Yeah… movies are great for improving your English!”

“Oh… OK…”

“What do you want to watch?”

“I don’t know… whatever Javi wants…”

“Boring! But fine, I’ll pick the movie, you pick the snack!”

“Ok!”

The rest of the evening was spent snacking on some gyoza flavored chips and watching a movie Yuzu didn’t really understand much of. 

All while Effie lay snuggled in Javi’s closet wondering how best she could go about educating Yuzuru in becoming Javier’s cat so she could finally have her much desired independence, without having to satisfy her human’s need for affection all the time...

**Author's Note:**

> Regarding the ending: We all know cats actually rule the world!
> 
> And a little disclaimer: I don't know for sure whether Yuzu has ever had pets or not. Or, if not, if it was because of his asthma or some other reason. Javi, however, is allergic to cats. However I don't know how his allergy manifests. I just assumed only sneezing, because if it was something worse, I'm not sure he'd still live with one...


End file.
